I'll Always Be Here
by RikinofLettersandBoxes
Summary: Story of a hopeful and patient couple, Roxy Lalonde and Porrim Maryam, who strive to make a relationship work around such a seclusive work schedule. Roxy is noticing the struggles Porrim faces and does all she can to keep it afloat, but is it enough to take her out and love her or will it not be enough? Enchanting nonetheless and includes popular ships, both explicit and implied.
1. At Long Last

Thick drops rain fell from the dark sky and onto the ground, soaking everything. She had missed this, having the opportunity to relax and just sit in the middle of a gentle storm. The occasional drop would land in her glass, sloshing the already diluted fluid that inhabited it, splashing around her hand in a swirling pattern as the woman lazily tilted her glass and would look up at the dark clouds that hung over everyone's head and then close her eyes for a moment of peace. Cold tears from the sky splashed against her pale face, chilling the plains enough to make the blonde shiver with delight. This went on for who knows how long before a darker entity fell over her and protected her from the rain. "Hey, what's the big idea?" she asked the mystery figure, sitting up to see who she was waiting for the entire time.

"Hello, Roxy."

The blonde smiled widely, her black lips stretching to communicate her glee of seeing her long awaited lover. "Hey there, Beautiful." Her glass was overflowing with crystal clear rain water as she sat on the cold and wet bench, most of her clothes soaked through. They simply stared at one another for a while, just remembering the intensity of the colours that made up those portals to the soul. "I didn't know you would come home so soon. I was expecting you to be gone for another month and a half." The woman stated in an almost disappointed tone, looking over Roxy's now soaked clothes. Ah, she was wearing the outfit she bought the last time she came home; a black pair of tight leggings with a loose white tee that exposed her shoulder. She could see the hints of some undergarments as well, but that would come later. God, she missed her. "Are you going to sit here all night, or are you going to walk me home?" Roxy shivered with the way she spoke. That French accent really purred against her ears and frankly, she loved it. She loved everything about Porrim. Needless to say, she missed her in the mandatory nine month absence for work. Every little bit, from her eyebrow piercings down to her long toes. "Oh course I will, sweet thing." Roxy stood, taking the umbrella and holding its warm thin handle with Porrim, feeling how warm her gloved hands felt against her own clammy hands. "You're absolutely freezing, Roxy. Let's get you in before you catch a cold." She couldn't agree more.

The beauty of the storm could not amount to Porrim's beauty; there simply was no contest between the delicate curve of her eyelashes and the wispy tendrils of the clouds that hung over them. Their walk was calm and almost healing in a way, just remembering the reality that yes, they existed. They weren't just voices over a dingy radio to each other. It hurt to be alone for so long, but they managed well as a couple. Roxy found it strange to see so many people on the streets, but that was natural. Living in the Amazon Rainforest with little company besides Jake really took its toll. One could say she became a little awkward socially. The click of her lover's heels pulled her back into the world around her, splashing the small puddles that stood no chance in dampening the woman's shoes. "Do you remember where we live, Roux?" She asked as they traveled the busy and wet streets of Chicago. Roxy seemed a little thrown off by the question and could only make an impression of Scooby Doo. "Ri ron't row?" She giggled a bit, resting her head on the usually stoic and majestic woman's shoulder. "That's okay. We moved anyway."

Before Roxy could ask, they took a turn and stood before this gorgeous French-style apartment building. Right in the middle of the city and one of the highest resident buildings, their new home was beautiful to say the least. Roxy could always count on Porrim for beauty in everything. She could never admit it was tedious. Trips to aquariums and fancy restaurants never stacked up to how Porrim's presence could make a room seem blander. People would just gravitate towards her at parties and coincidentally, that was how the two women met.

Roxy's eyes scanned the ornate palace that they called home was probably one of the fanciest places Roxy had ever laid eyes on, much less graced the tile floors with her own feet. Porrim clicked down lobby, greeting the secretary with a sort of eager impatience before she was led into an elevator. She always understood how Porrim became when she was gone for so long, so many nights when she had to warm her own bed and wake up to a cold breakfast of toast and coffee. Roxy felt the same way. Life just didn't seem that bright and livable without her light there with her. The golden elevator dinged and their liftman nodded them a good night before Porrim tugged her girlfriend from the platform and onto the solid marble floors. Jeez, how much was Porrim paying for a place like this? They walked together down a hallway that Roxy would most likely never memorize. She had three days with Porrim before she had to go back. Barely enough to remember her heartbeat, but she would use that time to her advantage. She certainly understood what Porrim needed and she was more than willing to give it. They stopped in front of room 1254 and Porrim fished a black key out of her shimmering black snakeskin purse. After a few turns of the tumblers, they were inside and Porrim let Roxy in as if she was a kitten needing to explore some place new. By golly, she felt like she was in an alien place. The room itself was painted in deep reds and gold's, much like the apartment building itself, only it had every bit of Porrim's charm; French meets Indian sort of deal. The first thing that assaulted Roxy's senses was the spicy smoky scent that wafted through the air. So Porrim was using the incense she bought her. That warmed her heart just with the sentiment of the idea. Gold animal statues along with little trinkets dotted the shelves, supporting row upon row of dusty old books her roommate loved and cherished. To finish such a place, a soft couch sat by a dark fireplace along with a strange chair dotted with bottle caps. The blonde made a note to ask about that later. For now, it was just them. "Wow, Rimmy. This place is pretty spiffy." She mumbled mostly to herself, enjoying the warmth of the room. Porrim had always insisted on keeping rooms hot. This was because she was born on the hot coasts of Bordeaux where it never truly got cold. Roxy never had a problem with that and it seemed nice to break a sweat more easily. She believed that it helped her sometimes with her hangovers. "I thought you would like it. I would have cleaned up a bit more, but we can't have Kanny getting too relaxed, now can we?" She shut the door and shrugged off her black mink fur coat, hanging it in the coat closet next to the door. "Jeez, it's just so freakin' quality in here. I didn't think you would have put so much time into this place." The blonde turned to look at Porrim, only to watch the dark-haired woman turn with pleasantly narrowed eyes. Gosh, she loved those amazing flecks of emerald. They were intense enough to put on earrings and sell to the pharaohs themselves. "I have had a lot of time to myself." She considered, pouting her lips just a bit to add to that small shrug of dismissal. She approached a smiling Roxy, resting her hands on her damp shoulders. She played with her shirt a bit, readjusting it and pulling it down again, all the while her eyes flitting over the figure she had missed so much. "In between character design and counseling, there isn't much else to do besides..." She moved her face closer to Roxy's her voice disappearing into a heavy whisper. "Fantasmer." Roxy could feel the heat radiate off of her shimmering jade lips and she shivered with delight, hugging around Porrim's sloping waist. "I like the way you think, Mademoiselle." She winked in reply, playful as always.

They looked each other in the eye once Roxy settled down, reading one another like their favourite well-worn books before their lips crashed together, all of the frustration and longing melding into a mess of emotions. Porrim could feel Roxy's warm fingers push into her hair and find a comfortable hold and she did the same, holding the thick soft hair in a handful that both would enjoy. If Rox benefited from one thing over those expeditions, it was an increase in her strength and Porrim loved it. With a swift movement, Porrim was wrapping her legs around Roxy's waist and she was being held in the air by her slightly shorter but physically stronger lover. Muscles were attractive, she supposed as her mind hazed over with unbridled desire. Black mixed with jade as they kissed messily, greying around each others mouths as tongues fought and tumbled together much like how kittens would wrestle. Who could blame them? The jade woman fought her own selfish desires for a second and looked to Roxy, eyes half-lidded and displaying a gorgeous set of smoky eyes. "Now, I believe I need to take care of my kitten." Roxy could only smirk dreamily and lay back for her, feeling Porrim's soft hands pad up her body until she was sitting on top of the blonde, tugging at her dress for Roxy's long-awaited and own personal show. Her fingertips felt like sparks along Roxy's chest, perking where appropriate and shocking her with pleasant sensations she had been starved from. The blonde couldn't help but help remove the loosened dress, sighing happily at the sight before her; she indeed did not forget the twins, both affectionately named Pacman and "Hey, Misses P. Hey Mister P." She pecked them both affectionately and latched on; knowing Porrim was igniting fireworks in her head. The silence, only granted ambiance with heavy breathing, was now occupied by Porrim's hitched breathing and the wet sounds of sucking. Who said she had to only please Roxy? This was a give and take after all. Both parties had always thought that the relationship was best when neither was wearing any panties, but it was still exquisitely dapper when they were. The deal sealer was a thick, breathy moan that escaped her partner's mouth as she held the offending party's head to her chest, letting Roxy enjoy her for all she was worth. In all honesty, Porrim never had that much endurance when it came to this sort of thing. She was always a pleaser and teaser, not a recipient. She held onto Roxy like a rosary to a priest's chest, not caring for a moment to stay quiet. They were alone and that was all that mattered. It wasn't until Roxy felt wetness drip from her and onto her leg from the other woman that she knew it was A-Okay to move on. Roxy could feel that heat in her core and she could only bite her greyed lip as Porrim pressed soft wet kisses down her body, running her fingers through the blonde hair that shielded her little flower from the elements. Porrim would never admit it, but she loved it when Roxy came home and hadn't been able to shave in months. In one way, it made her feel more beautiful, in others, it made her appreciate Roxy's natural beauty and in others, just showed that she was comfortable with Roxy just the way she was. She pressed a soft kiss to the thick blonde hair, catching an encouraging sigh; she went forward and tasted the woman she had missed so much. This earned one of the most beautiful sounds Porrim had ever heard and a slight tug on her hair, making her smile before continuing to please the woman that had been only been a void in her life until an hour ago. "Oh… Porrim~!" Roxy was more vocal between the two, but both could agree that Porrim lost control more easily if allowed to.

Needless to say, Roxy's legs and Porrim's mouth and fingers were a big wet mess and their ears were ringing with Roxanne's cries of pleasure. It truly had been too long. Roxy pulled Porrim up and embraced her for a moment, a smug grin on her face as she hugged her with both arms and legs. "Gosh, you're so great, babe." The Virgo sighed happily and hugged her back, letting Roxy encourage her onto the couch. "My turn, Cutie." She bucked from the very beginning, finding the combination of sensation and sound to send her over the edge in an eager lemming-style race over the climax. She lay trembling afterwards with Roxy pressing kisses to the insides of her legs and licking her lips clean. "You taste more beautiful than I remember." Porrim could only smile and giggle breathlessly, brushing her long strands of hair from her reddened face. "I can say the same for you." She returned, hugging Roxy.

"I missed you so much, Roxy."

"I know, Rimmy. I'm so glad to be home." They picked up their clothes for the sake of poor Kanaya and walked to their room, crawling into the thick silk bed sheets and cuddling together for warmth. "Hehe, I missed _this_ more than anything." Porrim purred, hugging onto Roxy. The blonde definitely felt the same. Cots were nice for a while, but sometimes a big old soft bed with the love of one's life was a whole world of difference between a good existence and a perfect existence. They shared a long silence, just enjoying the combination of breathing and afterglow.

"Hey, Roxy?" Porrim asked tentatively as she hugged around her chest and nuzzled against her chest.  
"Wassup?" She could almost repeat Porrim's question before she even said it. It was a mistake for what she did the last time she left.  
"You'll be here when I wake up, right?" Porrim's voice, in that sentence, grew to roughly the size of a pea, mostly out of fear and all around anxiety. The last time Roxy left, she did so under Porrim's nose. It was necessary, but that didn't mean that Porrim just sat around and accepted it. The first few weeks of that expedition were awful. Porrim wouldn't speak to Roxy all because she didn't say goodbye. It simply wasn't something one did to a Maryam. Having such maternal personalities came with mixed blessings, one being abandonment and attachment issues. Roxy bit her lip and closed her eyes, remembering the bitter tearful fight like it was minutes ago.

"Yes, baby. I'll be right here." She could feel a few spots of wetness on her chest, but she could do nothing. Sometimes, the Maryams just needed a good long cry. She stoically stayed awake; petting the smooth raven-coloured hair until long after Porrim fell asleep and listened to the rain outside, letting herself enjoy its singular beauty for a few moments before shipping herself off to Dreamland, where Porrim and all of her best fantasies awaited.

"I'll always be here, Porrim."


	2. Morning Diffculties

Porrim's dreams were… restless. In the crowded white rooms that plagued her dreams, Roxy always seemed to just be a voice or a stranger that did not know her. She pursued her love, only to be shoved back by torrents of her own fears and insecurities. The blonde gal never looked back. When she finally snatched her hand, there was a flash of those gorgeous electric pink eyes and then darkness. The jade woman rubbed her eyes, messing up the makeup from the night before as she formulated her bearings. Their LuckyCat clock read 9:05AM and Porrim could only groan and flop back on Roxy, who snored softly like a baby piglet. She coughed a bit and rubbed her own eyes, blinded by the light. "Hnn? What's the big idea, Rim?" She asked as she sat up, an apologetic glance sweeping across Porrim's face as she realized what she had done. "Sorry, I thought you were a body pillow there for a second."

"So you flop on them?"

"Sorry." She straddled her naked lover and kissed her good morning, also apologizing for the flop. There was a smug grin on her face, a mix of thankfulness and playfulness. "Thanks for still being here." She mumbled, her words flowing somberly over those white teeth.

"No problem, hot stuff. Told you I'd still be here. I mean, look at this. Not even wearing a bra." She snickered, nuzzling foreheads with Porrim. She could only smirk in return and give Roxy's arm a light squeeze before propping herself up on her elbows to wake up a bit more. She never really had a fixed agenda, so sleep was a sluggish thing with Porrim. Not to say that Roxy didn't thoroughly enjoy her restful hours of sleep. Last night was damn near the best night of her life, and not because she had a real bed to sleep on. The jade woman slacked her neck to look at Roxy, who was now propped up on the dark headboard. Like yesterday, they simply stared and stared at one another, memorizing the evidence that they indeed existed and that this was not a dream. "You're beautiful, babe." Roxy smiled tenderly and bopped her nose with a blackened finger nail.

"I love you even if you are this sappy so early. And you are gorgeous." Porrim stuck out her pierced tongue at her with a small smile. "Oh shush." Almost if as if on cue, their stomachs growled at the tantalizing smells of bacon and sliced fruit that seeped under the doorway. "Looks like darling Kanaya is back from work." Porrim sighed, thinking about that poor girl. Roxy would find out later. "Shall we go receive bacon and absolution?" In all honesty, they probably left a stain or two on the couch. Not their best decision to make love on the family couch, but they would laugh about it months from now over a nice glass of wine. Too bad Kanaya probably came home to the stains. "I kinda feel sorry for her." Roxy smiled sheepishly, knowing that Kanaya would probably have some choice words for the two women.

"Ugh, I need a shower." Porrim sighed, really wanting to avoid going to a stern, probably angry Kanaya. Roxy ears perked at this, finding an opportunity to waste time. "We should really do it together." Porrim reacted differently than what Roxy expected. She only wanted to save water, was she really that touchy about water? "What's wrong, babe?"  
"Nothing." She mumbled, getting up to slip a dress on. Roxy followed, hugging around her waist. "Nah, somethin's up. Spill it." The jade woman furrowed her brows and looked at Roxy, her expression weakening. "I... I don't. Can't shower with you." Porrim's body was getting progressively pinker and it was obvious that she didn't want to do this. "Come on, Rimmy. I won't take any pictures."  
"No."  
"Yes."  
"No!"  
"Please?" Roxy pouted once she recovered from the outburst and gave her puppy dog eyes, pouting her bottom lip. "Come on, it'll be great." The resisting party looked around, crossing her arms and fidgeting until she couldn't stand it anymore. With what seemed to be the threats of tears in her smudged eyes, she began taking out her piercings, all the way down to her tongue piercing. At least she couldn't take off her dark, spiraling tattoos. Even if she lost her armor, she still had this gorgeous dark hide to hide behind. She went to the bathroom and scrubbed her face until it was pink and sighed before approaching her original position. She now stood naked before her lover. Completely and for the first time; no piercings, no clothes, no nail polish or pins in her hair. Most of all, no makeup. What was once full and shiny was now dark and flat, hardly curling around her face like it used to. Her face looked so plain without make up and she even looked a bit sleepy with the way her eyes squinted only slightly from years of reading and drawing. Porrim had learned to squint just a bit so that her dark, smoky make up would work well with the rest of her body. Her eyebrows were lighter after having the filling scrubbed away and Porrim wanted to cry. While Roxy looked over her in all of her beauty, Porrim felt like a stretchmark covered cougar that held no beauty. When it all came down to it, she felt inadequate. In every way. How could this beautiful blonde babe love an unattractive thing like her?

Then, Roxy did the unthinkable. At first, she winced whenever those lips pressed against her skin. Porrim only read those as, "Aha! I found another flaw." After what felt like hundreds of kisses, Roxy held her plain, beautiful face in her hands and looked in her eyes, her smudged lips stretching into another smile. "You get more beautiful every time I look at you. Don't think for a moment that you aren't enough for me." Porrim's hand melded against hers and she felt like crying a little bit. Roxy was so perfect and wonderful for her. No one had ever said that about her. Years of hiding who she was melted away, the guilt dripped from her in the form of tears and a wet nose. Her blonde lover held her as long as she needed, waiting for the post-crying sniffles before speaking again. "You are seriously the sexiest of beasts any time I see you. I'd totally tap all of this if you were okay with it." That made Porrim giggle a little bit before she turned away to start the water for them.

Rox was right. This _was_ great.

Once Porrim relaxed enough to step into the shower, she did what she could to just cling to Roxy so she couldn't see her face. Whenever Roxy would back up to look at her, she would plant kisses on the alcoholic's pale skin just so Roxy couldn't see her. Unfortunately, she caught up to this pretty early and hugged her close. It was nice to just take a shower like this and not worry about the taboo of being naked and not screwing. Just another memory Roxy would cherish for the rest of her life. Even when she hid, she showed beauty to the world.  
Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Porrim finally opened her eyes, accepting the idea of trust. Roxy _would_ love her this way. She knew in her heart that Roxy would always love her and she would do the same. Once she accepted that, they had the comfiest, back-scrubbiest shower either woman could ever ask for. Once they rinsed and were dried off, Roxy volunteered to go out first while Porrim reapplied that precious armour to her strengthened body.

As she stepped out of her babe's room, she could see that Kanaya had gotten taller, for one. The nervous girl was tossing some kind of egg and bacon mixture that held a rainbow of colours. She really was a master with food and she patted herself on the back for pointing Kanaya in the right direction. In the few months before Kanaya graduated college for fashion, she had a total meltdown. Maryam had piled so much work on herself that Roxy had saved her from an emotion-driven pseudo heart attack. After a long conversation and a little wine to loosen Kanaya's bolts, she helped her girlfriend's cousin apply for cooking school. She vividly remembered Kanaya coming home and hugging her with the biggest of smiles on her face. Culinary Arts made her happier than any piece of clothing could. Now, if only she could stay genial for now…

"Ahem."

The chef jumped a bit and looked to Roxy with wide eyes, immediately relaxing. "Oh, you're back. How was your trip?" She asked, turning so her god-awful appearance could not be seen by her friend.  
"Just fine. I wish you could have been there for the trip. Lots of great stuff…" She laughed a bit to herself, remembering the adventure of traveling through a quickly crumbling tomb with Jakey boy. They almost died that day, but the partnership had sworn an oath to never speak of it, not even to their coworkers. "How are you doing?" She asked when she returned from her memories. Kanaya looked over and took a breath, only to be interrupted by her phone. The song that played was "Spider8reath" and that was all that needed to be said. She slammed a firm finger onto the touch screen and slid it to "ignore" before going back to the food and serving up healthy amounts of food for Roxy. The blonde flinched in response to the stressed avoidance of the caller and knitted her brows in worry. "You doin' okay, doll?"  
"No." She chirped with annoyance, huffing through her nose while she made two more plates and set Roxy's plate at the four person table. Kanaya went to her bottle cap reading chair and settled in it, a plate of food in her own lap. She watched her food with introverted silence, only because Porrim wasn't exactly the best person to talk to when it came to matters of the heart and she wasn't about to include Roxy in this mess. Rox knew it was Vriska calling and Rimmy had mentioned that Kanaya was trying to date for the first time. Roxy looked over the poor girl and kind of just solved the dilemma herself, but it was polite to hear Kanaya's side before she went Mama Bear on Vriska.  
"What's up with the spiderbabe?"  
Kanaya looked around, reluctant to speak. "She's exhausting and pushy." Roxy frowned with half of her mouth while chewing a chunk of hash browns with the other. "Mmm, great grub. How so, Sweet Pea?"  
Her slender fingers went into the black pixie cut. "She's just intolerable. She won't stop bothering me about-…" She blushed and went to inhaling her food as politely as possible. Roxy broke into a grin that she hid behind her glass of orange juice. Poor baby Kanaya was finally getting frisked. Get the camera, this was something she would scrapbook sixty years from now.  
"Well, have you tried reasoning with her? I mean, she isn't _that _bad. She may be a bit rough around the edges, but you guys get along, right?"  
"Well, Porrim said that, if anything, use her for relief. I'm confident that you understand my difference in values." She responded with red features as her fingers played with the vintage bottle caps dotting the eccentric green leather armchair.  
Roxy thought on this for a moment. Kanaya would certainly relax if she had a partner for the all glorious practice of heels to Jesus. She was certainly old enough. She was already halfway to a forty year-old virgin for Pete's sake. Then again, poor baby could hardly go through Porrim's laundry to get her chef coat without getting a nosebleed. "How's Porrim treating you?" The chef finally asked after a few moments in a desperate attempt to get off of the topic of sex. "She's okay." Roxy smiled at the thought of the night before and finished her scrambled eggs with two bites. "Well, more than okay. Perfect. Fantastic. And between you and me and the great little state of Cali…" She wiggled her bare fingers as if pantomiming a ring. "I'm thinking it's time." Kanaya looked to her with that silent concern. She loved those two to bits and she couldn't stand to see them hurt one another again. God, that was the worst event in the history of Maryamkind.

"It will be nice to see you two ride into the sunset together." She finally smiled, taking her plate to the kitchen and rummaging through the cupboards for something. "I assume you haven't been drinking since you came back?" Kanny left Roxy to wonder before a dusty, crystal clear bottle of Vodka was placed before her. It was a huge bottle of Ruskova Vodka, right from Russia and over twenty years old. Roxy gaped, her black-rimmed mouth wide open. "Holy shit, Kanny." She popped the cork and took a whiff, coughing from the intensity. This was before they started watering the stuff down and _god_ did it smell delicious. She made a mental note to only imbibe on this baby on special nights while Kanaya beamed over the praise. "How did you even. Wow." Porrim waved Kanaya over and they spoke in hushed voices for a minute before Kanaya waved her off with annoyance. Not that Roxy was watching them. "Any plans for today? Your significant other wants to know." Roxy nodded as she experimentally dunked a piece of bacon into the small martini glass she had poured for herself and took a bite. _Hot damn._ If there was one thing that Roxy was good for, it was mixing drinks. "I'm gonna take her to that amusement park. If it's still up that is." Kanaya nodded in validation and Porrim came out to eat, already dressed in her best. "Excuse me…" Kanaya said as she begrudgingly took her yelling phone into her room. Porrim watched the door with a forlorn look in her eyes as Kanaya fought with an obviously victorious-from-the-start Vriska. Roxy and Porrim shared a glance before Kanaya came back; looking like someone had tried to hike up her skirt or something. "I'll give you guys some space." Roxy left the room and went to go get all prettified for their day on the town.

Both girls sat next to each other on the couch, just staying quiet. When Porrim finally spoke, the tension both melted and steeled itself.  
"You know, it's okay to want pleasure and to give pleasure, Kanaya."  
"It's… It's just hard. I don't know how and… Vriska has had previous partners..."  
Her cousin gave her a concerned look and held her hand. "Well, I'll save the torture of a lesson. Just do what you feel is right and listen to each other." She knew Kanaya would not think it was so easy, but sometimes it really was. It certainly wasn't goddamn rocket science. After about fifteen minutes of text correspondence between Kanaya and Vriska, she smiled and hugged her older cousin. "Thank you, Rim."  
Porrim smiled happily. Her cousin was growing up and the thought of it made her heart soar.

"Um, can you guys stay out until I call?" She asked nervously, her breath a little shaky as she tried calming down for the exhilarating adventure before you.  
"Of course, doll."


End file.
